Chelation therapy is a course of treatment in which heavy metals are removed from the body using chelating agents. Examples of chelating agents include EDTA, or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, DMSA, or dimercaptosuccinic acid, dimercapto-propane sulfonate (DMPS) and ALA (alpha-lipoic acid). The primary medical use of chelation therapy is in the treatment of acute heavy metal poisoning. Metals that can be removed by chelation include mercury, iron, arsenic, lead, uranium and plutonium. However, chelation therapy is being used in alternative medicine to treat autism, atherosclerosis and heart diseases.
Chelation Therapy in Alternative Medicine
As soon as EDTA was shown to remove toxic, heavy metals from the body, chelation therapy became an attractive treatment in alternative medicine. Atherosclerosis and autism are the best examples of conditions that alternative medicine practitioners believe can be improved by chelation therapy. However, there is no evidence for the effectiveness of chelation for these conditions. For example, it is wrongly assumed that EDTA will chelate the calcium on arterial walls to reverse atherosclerosis. This is not the case, because EDTA has a higher affinity for iron, zinc and even extracellular calcium than it does for the calcium in atherosclerotic plaques.
Precautions
Since chelation therapy removes minerals and vitamins in the bloodstream along with heavy metals, you need to take supplements during your treatment. Chelation therapy has been reported to cause fatal hypocalcemia. For this reason, a qualified health care provider should administer your chelation therapy and monitor your blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, mineral and vitamin levels throughout the course of treatment.
Side Effects
Side effects of chelation therapy include a burning sensation at the point of injection, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, joint pains, fever, skin rashes, convulsion, hypotension, hypocalcemia, low blood sugar, kidney toxicity, bone marrow depression, irregular heartbeats, respiratory arrests and organ failure.
Drug Interactions
Chelating agents bind and remove minerals and vitamins from the body. Vitamin C, magnesium, iron and calcium are especially affected. You must take supplements of these micronutrients and at prescribed doses, which are usually higher than normal doses. Certain chelating agents, such as EDTA, also increase the absorption of cefmetazole, a cephalosporin antibiotic. When taking this drug while undergoing chelation therapy, it is necessary to tell your physician so that he can prescribe a reduced dosage to prevent an increase in the side effects associated with cephalosporin.
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